Wherever football teams from Kerala go, they are sure to attract support and feel homely. Didn’t the All India Football Federation (AIFF) also purportedly bet on this to take the Santosh Trophy to Saudi Arabia?
So, when Kerala Blasters FC first visited Bengaluru in the 2022-23 Indian Super League season on February 11, it was a sea of yellow. It seemed like the Bengaluru FC fans were outnumbered 3:1. At the end of the tie there were scuffles between the two sets of fans, necessitating a joint-statement from the clubs condemning the violence.
Lessons learnt, BFC, for the knock-out match on March 3, planned in such a way that the two clubs’ fans would never come face-to-face, either in the stands or in the parking area. There were designated gates even for entering the stadium, let alone the stands. Where, previously, football aficionados could enter the Sree Kanteerava Stadium through any gate, take leisurely walks around the sprawling greenery and then proceed to their allotted stands, this strict rule seemingly turned the whole experience into a guided tour. This also ended up delaying Kerala fans’ entry into the ground, allowing a slow trickle than the strong gust of the ‘Manjappada’.
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Already allotted seats in the stands farthest from the playing area (behind the bends of the athletics track), they couldn’t quite create the vibrant atmosphere that has become a constant in Blasters’ matches. Perhaps, with no energy to bounce off, the players on the pitch looked pedestrian, especially in the first half. By the end of it, they were totally silenced, more in shock, as coach Ivan Vukomanovic led his outfit off the pitch, protesting the referee’s decision to allow an extra-time goal via a quick free-kick from Sunil Chhetri. It was a forgettable day for the travelling supporters, from start to finish.
Valiant fighter
Vishal Kaith is one of the favourites of the ATK Mohun Bagan fans. The goalkeeper has already won his first ISL Golden Glove award for keeping 11 clean sheets in 22 matches so far in the season. His performance under the bar meant so much for Mohun Bagan looking to reach the decisive stage of the tournament, which it is yet to win.
Unperturbed: Vishal Kaith, ATK Mohun Bagan’s goalkeeper, wanted to continue despite being involved in a collision during the knock-out game against Odisha FC. | Photo Credit: Focus Sports/ISL
Kaith’s stout presence in the goal meant that the team picked up the requisite wins to emerge third in the final league standings. Mohun Bagan also made it to the third successive semifinals ever since debuting in the ISL (in the 2020-21 season).
What has appealed in Kaith’s performance has been his intrepid attitude and the high level of fitness that was reflected in some of the outstanding saves he made in the tournament. The best came in the knock-out qualifier match against Odisha FC at the Salt Lake Stadium when Kaith lost consciousness for a few seconds after colliding with Odisha forward Diego Mauricio during a goalmouth action. As the referee and his teammates frantically gesticulated for medical intervention sensing emergency, Kaith was soon back on his feet and implored with the team doctors to let him continue with the game.
He was seen saying “I am Okay” but the medical team did not agree with him and he was substituted as a precautionary measure.
Kaith was back in the next match, the semifinal leg 1 against Hyderabad FC, where he was outstanding again with a few spectacular saves to see the match ending goalless. Then came the news of him confirming the golden glove in the current season. Kaith did not appear too elated with his personal achievement and said, “my golden glove award will only be worthwhile if ATK Mohun Bagan wins the title,” he said in a statement.
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